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The Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP) has issued a blistering demand for immediate accountability following a shocking revelation by the Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mubarak.
According to a report released on July 7, 2026, the lead suspect in the high-profile March 2025 gold bars and counterfeit currency bust managed to escape lawful custody. Compounding the public fury, the escape reportedly occurred during the exact timeframe that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) was actively destroying the seized counterfeit dollar notes.
The Blunder That Sparked National Fury
The March 2025 bust was hailed as a monumental victory against cross-border economic crime, netting significant quantities of illicit gold and millions in fake foreign currency. However, the latest admission from the Interior Ministry has turned a triumph into a massive national security embarrassment.
In a press briefing, Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak confirmed the dual catastrophe:
The Escape: The mastermind and primary suspect behind the syndicate slipped through security protocols and absconded.
The Destruction of Evidence: Simultaneously, the Bank of Ghana proceeded to incinerate and destroy the counterfeit dollar notes that formed the core physical evidence of the state’s criminal case.
IERPP Demands Answers: Critical Questions for the Government:
Reacting to the development, the Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy has expressed deep skepticism over the timing and handling of the operation. The think tank has put forward a series of hard-hitting, critical questions demanding an unedited public explanation from the government:
How does a high-profile suspect escape during an active evidence-disposal operation?
“It strains credulity to believe that a prime suspect under maximum security could conveniently vanish at the precise moment the physical proof of their crime is being permanently obliterated,” an IERPP Senior Research Fellow, Dr. Frank Bannor, stated.
“Why was vital evidence destroyed before a final judicial conviction?
Standard legal procedures dictate that physical evidence must be preserved to secure a conviction in court. Destroying the counterfeit currency while the case is technically ongoing and the suspect is at large, cripples any future prosecution” according to Dr. Bannor.
Who authorized the Bank of Ghana to destroy the fake notes? IERPP is demanding to see the specific judicial order or ministerial directive that sanctioned the destruction of primary evidence.
“Is this a systemic failure or deliberate institutional collusion? The public is being left to wonder if elements within the law enforcement and banking sectors intentionally facilitated the escape and covered tracks by destroying the paper trail” he said further.
Call for Independent Investigation
The IERPP has firmly rejected any internal police or ministerial inquiry, citing a clear conflict of interest. The policy think tank is calling on Parliament to establish an independent, bipartisan committee to probe the Ministry of the Interior, the Ghana Police Service, and the Bank of Ghana.
“Without swift, transparent action, this scandal threatens to completely erode public trust in the state’s capacity to fight economic crime and enforce high-level judicial accountability” Dr. Bannor concluded.
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By: PK. Sarpong
